Wheels for endless track vehicles and method for mounting same



B. A. SWENNES ETAL 2,459,975 WHEELS FOR ENDLESS TRACK VEHICLE S AND Jan.25, 1949.

METHOD FOR MOUNTING SAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1944 V lee 3Sheets-Sheet 2' B. A. SWENNES ET AL WHEELS FOR ENDLESS TRACK VEHICLESAND METHOD FOR MOUNTING SAME anz'zliz Q. 5206727185 Filed A ril 5, 1944lee .ZTJAeZfoia and J n- 1949- B. A. SWENNES ETAL WHEELS FOR ENDLESSTRACK VEHICLES AND METHOD FOR MOUNTING SAME 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April5, 1944 Lee 5721215072 and Patented Jan. 25, 1949 WHEELS FOR ENDLESSTRACK VEHICLES AND METHOD FOR MOUNTING SAME Benjamin A. Swennes,Rockford, 111., Lee E. Shelton, Kalamazoo, Mich, and Carl E. Swenson,

Rockford, Ill.,

assignors, by mesne assignments, to the United States of'America asrepresented by the Secretary of the Navy Application April 5, 1944,Serial No. 529,628

8 Claims.

Our invention relates to motor vehicles and more particularly to suchvehicles of the track laying or crawler type.

Track laying vehicles are provided on'opposite sides thereof withendless articulated tracks which support the vehicle and propel it. Eachof the tracks extends around and is held in looped configuration by aplurality of wheels on the respective side of the vehicle. The wheels oneach side comprise a plurality of bogie wheels, which are disposed intandem on the bottom of the vehicle and are preferably yieldablyconnected with the vehicle body, and other wheels on the vehicle bodydisposed above the bogie wheels for completing the track loop.

In prior vehicles of this type, in order to fix the bogie wheels inplace, spaced flanges were separately fixed to the vehicle on each sidethereof on the bottom of the vehicle, holes were then drilled throughthe fianges for receiving hub members of the bogie wheels, and then thebogie wheels were fastened in place with use of hub members in theseholes. It was found with such a construction and method of fixing thebogie wheels in place that, due to errors in drilling the holes, thebogie wheels were many times mounted in unaligned relationship with eachother. It is an object of the present invention to provide aconstruction and method for mounting the bogie wheels in place which aresuch that the bogie wheels are easily put into alignment. To this end itis an object of our invention to provide a channel on each side of thevehicle which has been preliminarily punched with holes for receivingbogie wheel hub members before being bent into the form of a channelwhereby the holes are correctly positioned in the blank relative toeachother, and to utilize hub members having portions smaller in sizethan the holes so that they may have limited movement in the respectiveholes. It is contemplated that any small adjustments of the bogie wheelsmay be made by adjustably moving the hub members in their respectiveholes, and the hub members may be welded to the sides of the channelsfor finally fixing thebogie wheels in their correct relative positions.

In prior vehicles of this type, the wheels on each side of the vehicledisposed above the bogie wheels and completing the track loop wereadjusted to be in alignment with each other and with the bogie wheels bymeans of shims. Adjusting these wheels in this manner proved to be atime consumingtask, and it is an object of our invention to provide aconstruction and method whereby such wheels may be easily and quicklyaligned with the other wheels. To this end it is an object of ourinvention to provide such a wheel with a hub member having a cylindricalfiange and to provide a cylindrical flange formed on the body of thevehicle adapted to loosely receive the first flange, whereby the hubmember and wheel may be moved toward or away from the vehicle body ormay have skewed mov ment with respect to the vehicle body with the oneflange moving inside the other to bring the wheel into alignment withthe other wheels prior to suitably fixing the flanges together topermanently fix the wheel in position.

The invention consists of the novel constructions, arrangements anddevices to be hereinafter described and claimed for carrying out theabove stated objects and such other objects as will appear from thefollowing description of a certain preferred embodiment illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a track laying vehicle embodyingthe principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line 2-2of Fig. 1;

Fig. Bis a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on line .'l3of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the construction shown in Fig. 3with certain parts being omitted for clearness of illustration.

Fig. 5is a sectional view of an apparatus for punching. holes in awheel-mounting channel blank of the vehicle body;

Fig. 6 is a yiew taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

and

Like characters of reference designate like parts in the several views.

Referring now to the drawings, the track lay- 'ing vehicle illustratedcomprises a water tight vehicle body in having a pair of endlessarticulated vehicle propellin tracks H' disposed on opposite sidesthereof. The track on each side of the vehicle is held in loopedconfiguration by means of bogie wheels l2 disposed in tandem on thebottom of the vehicle, idler wheels l3 and l and a driving sprocketwheel 15. Each of the bogie wheels 52 is swingingly and yieldinglyconnected by a torsion joint it with the vehicle body H] as will behereinafter more specifically described. The sprocket wheel I 5 isconnected with the body It! with a construction which will also behereinafter more. specifically described, and

scribed is of the type illustrated in the co-pendingr application ofBenjamin A. Swennes, .Serial-.No. 508,304, filed October 30,l943}.now-.-Patent.l lol 2,456,542, dated Dec. 14, 1948, and thisapplication may be referred to for a disclosure-of certain details, suchas details of the mechanism con necting the motor 51 with the-trackdriving; !5 or details of the shape of. the

sprockets grousers l8.

An improved method and construction: are utilized for connecting andfixing the bogiewheels l2 with respect to the body ill of the vehicle:

The body is comprises a plurality of cross beams or channels l5, asshown. A channel 20-00m prising'a websi and channel sides-'22: is fixed1:; in: the pressure pad to the cross beams iii adjacent each' oi thesides' 23 of the body ifi'-(one"side-only being. shownin the drawings)toiorm, with the' -bottom plates. 24; the bottom of the body lll." The"channel 201:

is Provided with oppositelydisposed holes. 252m its. sides 22', and ahubplateszfi g having.an' overall. diameter largerthan the holes: andhaving: a'-. boss portion ill smaller indiameter. than the holes:

to fit loosely therein, isprovided: over'each. of the holes 25 with-itsbossportioni2'l' being dise posed in the hole. is Welded inits-respective holex25, as shown;

Each of the hub plateszii. is providedwith a central hole 28, and thejoint: Hi: for? a bogie wheel l2, is'fixed' with respect to=eachoftatpairs or oppositely disposed hubnplatesizfii by' means of bolts 29.extending through the'holes 28 in the hub plates. The joint"lficomprisescan inner" cylinder 3!} fixed. with. respect to a hub: 31' ineach end thereof "by a weldrW, and: a. screw: 29 extends into ea'ch'ofthe hubs;3l-Ias1:shown: A cylindrical member 32 of a yieldingmaterialiisuch as rubber. is disposed onthe'cylinderirsnyand a cylinder33 is disposed-Lover the member"32.=. The' member 321. is fixed with:respect". to? both. the

cylinders as and 33 lbyiany'suitabl'e means as by vulcanizing. An outer?cylinder 134i is; disposed over the cylinder 33Tandis fixedtheretoby'any" suitable means; andthecylinderrfi carries a pair of spaced:armssfii betweenzwhich'is rotatably disposed a bogie'wheel I21 by'-' means;ofa:

shaft Eli extending between" the. arms; The cylinder 3b is fixed againstrotation with respect to the sides 22 of the channel 20 by means of?reaction. arms 3'! anchored with respect to the channel side 22 by anysuitable means; For .details of construction:fortfixingthetcylinders 33and 3t together and fOI." aHChOITillg thEtaImS" 31. to the channel}sides; the copending application,

November 15, 1943,. now: Patent No. 2,444,759; may be referred to;

member 253 in the form of fa=fiat sheet metal Tpiece Eachof'lthe'hubplates. 26..

The cylinder .30: is held. stationary withrespect': to thexbodyIUTWhi'lth? cylinder 33 is fixed with respect: to the arms" and thewheel'lZ, and the memberx32: of; yielding material between-the cylindersfunctions. to allow yielding'and swinging movementtofthei ably disposed"with respect to and"is:driverrby-- having parallel sidesis-firstprovi'ded; The 'holes 2 5, while the memb er:-2 ll is;..still=unb ent; arezth'enu blank 2i] so that in the punching operation theholesitpinthe blankill will be disposed equidistantly'from the adjacentedge thereof. Disposed above the blank 2!! is a pressure pad I03movably. connected'to: a ram i0 5 by means of a bolt it-l threaded intothe ram m4 and having its head disposed in an elongate aperture I0! 11%.Springs Hi8 extend between the ram and pressure pad and have theiropposite ends received within openings in the ram and pad. Upon downwardmovement of ramits, the pressure pad under the influence of the springsits will contact the blank Efisand secnreiy'holdithe. blank: inposition, before and during the: punching operation. The: ram it l isprovided with a plurality ofipunches I09 which, upon'downward movementof the ram, I M,

3 will punch: out" holes 25: in the; member-26. As

shown. in Fig: 6,; the. die llll is provided. with a oi pins I ifiadaptedrto be received-in holes Zea-t a'point remote from the puncheslll9s0.

that upon progressive movement. of the member so; eacnpair' of holes25will;be equidistantly cedure itisrelatively simple to locate the holestiidirectly opposite each other. The. member- .29 is then bent alonglines parallel to-its parallel sides to form it into the-channel-asitisshown in Fig. 2, by meansxof theapparatus shown in Fig; '2 wherein themember" 26' is disposedupon a die: iiiand has-one edge positionedagainst a gauge H2, apunch iisbeingdisposed above the member 29 andadaptedupon downward-movemerit to formit into the'channel as indicatedin dotted lines'in .Fig. 7. The" member is then put intoplace on thebottom of :thevehicle and is weldedto' the, channels !9, the adjacentside ES and'the bottom plates 24 of. the loodylll.v Hub.

plates, 2 6 Y are then loosely i positioned in. opposite holes 25, withthe boss portions 2Textending into the holes; andtorsion unitslfiarerthen put into place by means of the bolts; The units l6 are thenaligned with each' other wherebythe'.

central axes of theunits extend substantially parallel with each other:and-perpendicular to" spect to thefOthfir bogie wheels,'then.the.. hubplatest for thei-bogie-wheels "are welded'to the? channel sides 22; t

It will be apparent; with my improvedconei structionzand methodformountingthebogie' wheels l 2, that they may be'easilyandaccuratelymounted; due; in particular to the fact :that the holes 25* are formedin: each of? the.- channels before it is bent into channel form anddueto:

the fact that the. hub plates; 25: fit: loosely; in the holes 25 toallow limited movement ofithe plates.

with respect to the holes-before being welded in place.

Eachof-the track driving sprocketsl S'is rotata gear "reduction unit 38(see Figs; Sandi), and eaichof.theu'unitsz-til. is; adaptedto;lie-driven:v

any suitable means including, for example, a universal joint 48. Each ofthe gear units is provided with an outwardly extending flange 4|, and ahub member 42 is bolted to the flange 4!. The member s2 is provided witha cylindrical flange 63 the axis of which extends substantially parallelwith the axis of the wheel l 5. The flange 53 fits loosely in acylindrical flange id provided on an angle iron which is bent into acircle and is welded to a sheet metal side portion 46 of the body iiiabout an opening substantially the same size as the angle iron in thebody portion 36. The axis of the cylindrical flange also extendssubstantially parallel with that of the sprocket wheel 25 and normal tothe body portion #25 as will benoted. Y The cylindrical flanges 43 and44 are welded together, as shown, to fix the gear unit 39 and theassociated sprocket wheel is in place with respect to the body 10.

In mounting each of the sprocket Wheels l5 and its associated gear unit3}! with; respect to the vehicle body it the flanged hub member 42 isfirst bolted to the ear unit 39 and the angle iron at is welded to thebody portion 46. The sprocket 5-5 and gear drive unit 39 are then putinto place. The cylindrical flange 43 has an outer diameter suficientlysmaller than the inner diameter of the flange M so that the flange G3has such a loose fit with the cylindrical flange all that the sprocketis may be moved, along with the gear unit 39, toward or away from thebody portion 46 or the sprocket may be given a skewed or cockingmovement with respect to the body portion. 1

The sprocket wheel It may thus be moved as desired with respect to thebody portion 46 with the flanges l3 and lrlbeing one within the other,and the sprocket wheel is moved to be in the same plane as the otherwheels l2. l3 and Hi on the same side of the vehicle, so that the tracksl I on that side move continuously in that plane. After thesprocketwheel. lBhas been so positioned, the flanges 4 3 and 454 are weldedtogether to fix the wheel in its proper place.

It will be apparent that, due to the cylindrical flanges 53 and M, whichhave a loose fit therebetween, the sprocket wheel IE on each side of thevehicle may be adjusted as desired to bring it in the same plane as theother wheels on that side of the vehicle and may be fixed in suchposition, regardless of the fact that the body portion it; may notextend exactly in a plane parallel to that of the tracks H or may beunduly close to or far from the longitudinal center of the body to, dueto manufacturing tolerances.

We wish it to be understood that our invention is not to be limited tothe specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, exceptonly insofar as the claims may be so limited, as it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing fromthe principles of the invention.

We claim:

1. In. a method of mounting a plurality of vehicle supporting bogiewheels in tandem on a vehicle body, the steps which comprise, utilizinga sheet metal blank having two opposite parallel sides, punching outpairs of holes adjacent said opposite sides of the blank, thereafterbending said blank into the shape of a channel with said holes beingoppositely disposed in the sides of the channel, fixing the channel tothe bottom of the vehicle, and fixing hub portions into said holes andmounting the bogie wheels With respect to the hub portions.

2. In a method of mounting a plurality of vehicle supporting bogiewheels in tandem on a vehicle body, the steps which comprise, utilizinga sheet metal blank having two opposite parallel sides, punching outpairs of holes adjacent said opposite sides of the blank, thereafterbending said. blank into the shape of a channel with said holes beingoppositely disposed in the sides of the channel, fixing the channel tothe bottom of the vehicle body, utilizing hub plates each larger indiameter than said holes and having boss portion smaller in diameterthan the holes and adapted to loosely fit therein, positioning the hubplates over said holes with their boss portions in the holes and fixingsaid wheels with respect to the hub plates in opposite holes, adjustingthe positions of said wheels by means of the boss portions of the hubplates moving in said holes so that the wheel axes extend parallel toeach other, and fixin the hub plates with respect to the sides of thechannel after the wheels have been so adjusted.

3. In a method of mounting a plurality of wheels in tandem on a vehiclebody, oi wheels being connected with and disposed on parallel axes witha swingable and yieldable joint, the steps which comprise, utilising ablank of sheet metal having two opposite parallel sides, punching outpairs of holes adjacent said opposite sides, thereafter bending saidblank into the shape of a channel with said holes being oppositelydisposed in the sides of the channel, fixing the channel to the bottomof the vehicle body, utilizing hub plates larger in diameter than saidholes and having boss portions smal er in diamet-er than said holes andadapted to loosely fit in the holes, positioning said hub plates oversaid holes with the boss portions thereof fitting the holes andfastening the joints of the vehicle wheels to opposite pairs of hubplates, movably adjusting said joints so that they are disposed onparallel axes substantially perpendicular to the sides of said channelwith the boss portions of the hub plates moving in said holes, andwelding said hub plates to the sides of said channel after said jointshave been so adjusted.

4. In a vehicle, the combination of a vehicle body, a plurality ofvehicle-supporting and propelling wheels mounted on each side of saidbody in the same plane with each other, the means for mounting one ofsaid wheels on each side of said body including a hub portion withrespect to which said wheel is rotatably disposed and a vehicle bodyportion having an opening therein receiving said hub portion, one ofsaid portions having a peripheral flange engaging the periphery of theother of said portions, and means for fixing the peripheral flange ofsaid one portion to the periphery of the other portion.

5. In a vehicle, the combination of a vehicle body, a plurality ofvehicle-supporting and pro polling wheels mounted on each side of saidbody in the same plane with each other, the means for mounting one ofsaid wheels on each side of said body including a hub portion withrespect to which said wheel is rotatably disposed and on: OQQOSitGisides 5 on said body, plurality of Wheels-"mounted on each: side of saidbody and.

therewith; of: means for mounting each of the drivingsprocket?wheelsrtozthe body including a finai geerdrivezuniton.whiclrthe sprocket wheel ismounted; aihub portio-n' disposed about and,

fixed to; said final gear drive-innit and having a peripherai flange:extending substantially parallel withithe axis of;the vs'irocket'wheels, a pertion fixed withxrespect to the body and havinganopeningtherethrough and having a cylindrical T flange-about itsopening extending substan tially normal to theebo'dm-saidalast named'cwlindi-ical flange being larger than the cylindrical flange of said hubportion and receiving the same, said flanges being disposed" withrespect to each other to-position the sproclzet'w'n'eel'in' the plane ofthe other, wheels, and means foriixing saidcylindrical'fianges,togetherto fix the wheel with respect to therbodyt'7. In a vehicle, thecombination-oi a vehicle body, a plurality'ofvehicle-supporting and propelling wheels mounted on eachside of saidbody in the same plane with eaehother, and means for mounting one ofsaid wheels on each side of said body including a hubportion with,respect to which said wheel is rotatably disposed and a vehicle bodyportionhaving an; opening therein for receiving saidlhiib portion, oneof said por ti-ons having a peripheral flange. extendingapproximately'parallel with the-axis of said wheel,

and means for fixing the peripheries of said two portions together;

8, In a vehicle, the combination of a vehicle body, aplurality ofvehicle-supporting and propolling, wheels mountedlomeach side oirsaidbody inthersamaplanerwith each other, and means permittingrpreliminarya'djustrnentof said wheel into saidrplanerbeiore being-fixed withrespectto said body:

- BENJAMIN A.. SWENNES.

LEEE; SI-IELTON.

CARLEL, SWENSON.

REEERENCES CITED The followingrefrencesareof record in the ofthispatent:V

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FOREIGNI PATENTS Number: (Jountry, Date 389,123 I Germany. s Jan.25,1924

